The Rollercoaster Ride
by rtqno
Summary: Literal high adventure in the Andes Mountains with Team Rocket and "The Twerps". Warning: Unorthodox Shipping Ahead.
1. Default Chapter

"The Rollercoaster Ride" (Of all the trouble kept

"The Rollercoaster Ride" (Of all the trouble kept her inside) - Chapter 1

High in the Andes Mountains in an ice and rock lined niche in a stony cliff sits a woman tensely coiled to strike, much like the arbok she loves and trains. She is striking but not conventionally beautiful, with a very long and full carefully arranged wave of crimson hair, angular high cheeked face, with large expressive sky-blue eyes, and a small mouth with full red lips bearing a seemingly permanent ironic smile. She is waiting, not entirely patiently for some one or some thing to appear in the pass below her, her hand reflexively gripping and loosing a red and white ball at her hip. She's not dressed for the windy and snowy conditions, although shoulder length black leather gloves and matching thigh high boots provide some modest protection. In spite of this she seems not to notice the chill in the air or the keening wind. Her mind is seething with thoughts of vengeance, her partners lie incarcerated in the valley below in the city of La Paz, Bolivia. She's determined to pay them all back for her suffering. Her name is Jessie.

An older teenaged boy strides confidently up the steep slope just below the pass. He has brown work pants, and a green utility vest, and carries a pack on his back. He has an air of assurance about him like someone who has overcome much in spite of only just over 18 years of life. He has a carelessly tousled mop of spiky black hair and looks out at the world with a perpetual squint. The narrowed eyes combined with his firmly set mouth give him an air of toughness. He appears relaxed, but is also alert to his surroundings like a well-tuned predatory animal. This stalking of dangerous cornered prey is something he feels no discomfort doing. He has been self sufficient, a single parent, an ascetic trainer and breeder of pokémon, and is something of a skilled outdoorsman. He sadly considers that there's one thing he can't handle, his behaviour around pretty women. Not for him platonic friendly relationships, his craving for love and someone to fill the void left by his lost mother makes him giddy around lovely creatures. It's a terrible distraction and makes him feel the fool. He's almost glad to be away from the local Officer Jenny and Nurse Joy and his ache for their arms and lips, he can now focus on his mission to aid his friend Ash Ketchem. His name is Brock.

The collision between these singular individuals is inevitable. Brock clears the rim of the pass, lightly hopping from boulder to boulder revealing his comfort around the rocky bones of the earth and its pokémon. Jessie tenses to spring as soon as she spies him, she clutches Arbok's ball more tightly. "Prepare for trouble!" she crows as Brock passes beneath her aerie. He looks up too late to react properly to the onrushing huge violet snake which strikes a glancing blow to his shoulder. He rolls, regains his feet, and hurls his own pokéball releasing a roaring onix. Arbok's poison sting causes the rock snake to barely flinch as it hurls a hail of boulders at the agile serpent. There is little soil high in the mountains, Arbok cannot go underground to escape. "Arbok use strength!" commands Jessie, and the great cobra hurls a boulder of its own with deadly accuracy. The rock hits Onix in the head and hurts it. Brock responds, "Kick up a sandstorm!" Debris and stinging ice particles fill the pass causing Jessie and Brock to take cover. "Strength again!" screams Jessie over the tumult. The boulder misses Onix and hits the adjacent cliff face with tremendous force. A loud crack sounds above the howl of the wind and the ledge gives way.

Jessie's eyes open, she rode the rock slide like a rag doll from her perch on the mountain wall. "Lucky to not be crushed like an egg" she thinks to herself. She rolls over and looks for Arbok, she sees her, she's weak, but conscious and warily keeping company with Onix. "What's Onix doing?" she thinks, ignoring her stiffness and bruises. She gets up painfully, and gingerly picks her way through the still swirling dust over the new rock pile. Next to the pokémon she sees the young man under a drift of rock, he looks pale. A pang comes to her chest and a tear wells up, "Oh no! I didn't want to kill anybody!" her inner voice wails.

"Don't just stand there Arbok! Move away some of these rocks!" she commands as she goes to her own knees and starts clearing the more manageable stones. Onix helps, and they soon have the youth clear of debris. She touches his face and chest and finds he's apparently not breathing. She feels desperate, she recalls her training as a nurse, and immediately sticks a finger in his mouth to clear his tongue, and puts her lips to his, blowing her hot breath into his lungs, praying all the while. To her huge relief, he coughs into her mouth, and his eyes flutter in less than two minutes. She looks down on him, and smiles at her success. He perceives this unexpected rescuer and smiles in return, groans and closes his eyes again. "What happened?" he croaks. "Um, the mountain came down on us. That's what happens when you throw rocks around up here", she says resentfully.

"Yeah", he intones weakly but decisively, "What do expect ambushing someone in a place like this?"

"Hmph! I didn't strip away your friends and attack humans with powerful pokémon, I haven't frustrated your ambitions at every turn. You have a lot of gall stalking me like a renegade pokémon", she says irritably.

"Well I didn't steal another trainer's pokémon and run off into the mountains!" Brock rejoins angrily. "Where is Pikachu anyway?"

"He's in a pokéball in my pack in a cave not far from here."

"How did you get him into a ball? He never goes into a ball", queries Brock.

"I used an ultra ball, and no it wasn't easy. I wasn't going to run around with him in a sack all the time", she says matter-of-factly.

"Well it looks like you got me, but Ash, Misty and Jenny will hunt you down", Brock says with resignation.

Jessie smiles ironically, "I haven't got you, I'm stuck with you now. Let's see what else is wrong with you."

"Hey! Get your ...ow! Off me! I ...I, uh, well...what's wrong with me?" Brock protests.

"I'd say you have a couple of broken ribs, and a dislocated shoulder," Jessie says primly.

"And why can you say that?" he winces.

"Because I studied to be a pokémon nurse, and fighting pokémon bone structure is pretty much like yours", she retorts.

"Then that crazy blissey did know you then?" Brock accuses.

She sighs, looks at him sadly and nods, "Don't hold it against it, I was still an idealistic naive girl then. It had no idea of what I am now."

Brock looks at her more narrowly than usual, "And what are you now, Jessie?" his voice thick with contempt.

Her eyes tear briefly at the corners, she sucks in cold air and releases a puff of smoky breath, "I'm a failed thief with no faith in anything. There, are you satisfied?"

For all his social clumsiness around women he's empathic enough to see the wound he's opened, "Hey I'm sorry, we don't need any more pain after this disaster."

She actually manages a thin smile, "Thanks, but no thanks. You're just calling a spade a spade", she sniffs.

"I didn't need to hurt you when I owe you some gratitude", he says still apologetic.

"Forget it, I just woke you up so we can share freezing to death", she says dismissively.

"I'm going to have to use my jacket to make a sling for your arm, and let's see, do you have any bandages in that pack?" she's becoming businesslike again.

"Yeah", he groans, adjusting himself into a sitting position.

She goes about her business with an expertise that surprises Brock. For some reason he has felt no reason to respect this young woman beyond her trim figure and well proportioned face in countless previous encounters. Beyond this he could only see anger, spite, and a fearsome ferocious ambition that prevented him from even noticing she was indeed a girl only four or five years older than himself. Then there was always that stylish, goofy, tall, blue-haired fellow James always at her side. Certainly she was not an available option. But for some reason a thought worms its way into conscious thought. Ah, but no! Dismiss it, but still...

She's just finishing wrapping his mid-section, and is removing her white jacket. "Lord, she is a tight little craft!" he gasps internally. "Um, Jessie?"

"What, did I wrap the bandages too tightly?" she asks.

"Um, no...I was just wondering...", he ventures.

"What?" there's that ironic little smile of hers.

"What exactly is your relationship to James?"

She stops, the smile is gone replaced by a look of confusion, "He's my best friend in the world, we're seldom apart. When we're together it's like our half wits make a full wit. It's not like were in love I guess, but he understands me and, sometimes, I think I understand him. We're the dashing highwaymen."

"You sure you don't love him?" Brock sounds tight-chested.

She looks emptily at him, not sure if she should look at him or at some point far beyond his shoulder, "No, I can't say I am."

"Then what are you doing up here instead of sharing a cell with him?"

"I have Pikachu, that was our mission. I'd fail James if I didn't deliver it to the Team", she says half doubting the words as soon as they are said.

"Perhaps you have a choice after all", Brock says simply, "Go to James' side, or do your duty by Team Rocket."

She snaps to attention and returns to business as if turning on a fog lamp, "I'll think about it, but right now you need a sling."

.............................................

"Name?" the officious but pretty police officer intones primly.

He sighs, "J. P. Morgan."

She looks up at him with more mischief in her impish brown eyes than he had expected, "Seriously sir, what's the full name?"

"It's true, I am James Palmer Morgan", he says with a hint of a twinkle in his own soft green eyes.

"Funny parents', she notes as she inscribes the name in neat block print with her left hand he observes bemusedly.

"Oh yeah, very funny, they've imposed a lot more that that name on me over the years."

"Is that why you turned out this way?" she says looking surprisingly concerned. Her's is a pert face with a small turned up nose, a pleasant little mouth with thin lips, rather large, warm brown eyes, and carefully pinned blue hair save for a wispy curl that falls between those remarkably sympathetic eyes for a peace officer.

"No, I'm just a bad seed. And what's your name?" he says trying to sound seductive.

"I am Officer Jennifer A. Guy, but you can call me Officer Jenny. Everyone else does", she says in her official business tone.

"I see you're a lefty", he says trying to extend the conversation, "I thought all you Jennys were alike."

She rolls her eyes, "That's what all of you say. Sure there's family resemblance in looks and career, but we do have our little differences. Can't be helped, not even two stones from the same rock face are alike."

"Touché," he says smiling with a hint of a blush, "Then maybe you can let me off since you don't have anything against me or Meowth beyond some 13 year old kid's say so."

"As soon a those kids get back with your partner and the stolen pokémon we'll have plenty of evidence to lock you up here for a long time."

"I bet that would please you no end given you'll be seeing me every day", he says flippantly.

She unexpectedly flushes igglybuff pink, and says, "You wish."

"Not interested", he states, "You haven't seen my partner up close yet."

"If you expect me to get jealous, forget it!" she snaps a little too emotionally, "Let me conduct you to your stateroom Mr. J.P. Morgan."

The steel barred door clangs behind him with a disquieting finality it seems to him. The policewoman smiles wryly at him, and says, "We hope you enjoy your stay."

As Jenny walks away she's nagged by perverse thoughts. What a difference from the usual Rocket functionary she sees. They usually have shifty eyes, three days growth of dark beard, and dusty, unkempt looking black outfits. This one has manners, looks after himself, and carries himself well. He even shows flashes of good natured charm. "Boy, I've been working too hard", she says to herself as she hangs up the keys on the pegboard above her desk and sinks gratefully into her cushioned swivel chair.

James looks into the chipped mirror next to the commode in his cell. "Not bad", he thinks, "for a jailbird." Indeed, his well proportioned face with its frame of lank blue hair looks pretty good to him. He tries to push an insistent strand away from his eyes, but it falls back impudently. Just the right nose, compassionate eyes that give no hint of the wearer's sinister intent, a surpisingly resolute mouth for a fellow with so many misgivings about, well, everything. He flops on his cot and stares at the ceiling. Where was Jessie now? Where is Mewoth? He wishes he knew; the former was probably halfway to the nearest Team Rocket outpost before resuming the search for Mew that had brought them here. Pure dumb luck the twerps coming to La Paz for a pokémon tourney. Now, Meowth, they had probably stuck him into a pokéball and sent him to the local Poké Centre no doubt. This looked bad for the old team, at least Jessie might succeed. He sighs, stands up and starts a long bout of leopard-like pacing.

...........................................

"Hey, lemme outta here!" shouts the half metre tall cat pokémon.

"My you are an amazing little loudmouth", clucks a smiling, blue-eyed red-haired nurse. "I've never seen a talking pokémon before, but now that I finally have one here it won't pipe down."

"Lissen sister I've half mind ta cut ya where ya stand if ya don't turn me loose. I am notta abandoned or stolen pokémon. How many times do I haveta tell ya I belong ta da Viridian gym leader Giovanni?"

"Then I guess I will just repeat my question," the nurse patiently says in a smooth, slightly syrupy voice, "If your owner is Giovanni, why were you in the company of two notorious Team Rocket operatives when you were picked up?"

"No can do, can't answer dat", the Meowth flatly states crossing his front legs across his chest and closing his eyes.

"Then we're back at an impasse my little friend", Joy firmly notes.

With that she turns and quietly slips out of the holding room, "Be thankful we honour your desire to stay out of pokéball storage", is her parting shot.

"Geez. What I wouldn't do ta get outta here shorta fingering Gio and da Team", Meowth grouses disconsolately.

"Joy's nice enuff I s'pose", he thinks, "but deres nuttin' but poké chow in dis dump, I really could use a legga toiky. Dis is just great, I never knew catchin' Pikachu once n' fer all would cost Jim and me our freedom. Careful whatcha wish fer I guess."

He thinks back to the operation. Pretty typical save for the result. They tricked the twerps good, disguised themselves as Poké League officials they convinced the always credulous Ketchem kid to hand over the rat and ran for it. Only like 'The Cocaine Blues' says 'made a good run but ran too slow'. "That stupid Victreebell grabbed James and I got turned around in Weezing's smokescreen, so only Jessie slipped away from Jenny and the twerps. Success tastes pretty bitter", he thinks, and he curls up into a cozy ball on the floor and goes to sleep.

.................................................


	2. Disappointments

The Rollercoaster Ride - Part 2

The Rollercoaster Ride - Part 2

-------------------------------------------------

"There. That ought to hold," Jessie says appraising her workmanship.

"Yeah, the shoulder feels a lot better this way, uh, thanks for popping it back Jessie," Brock notes gratefully.

"De nada Señor, gracias for not whining about how much it hurt. I know it did."

"Where is this cave were gonna die of hypothermia in?" Brock asks trying to be jocular.

"It's about two kilometres from here across the rocks, there's a little pool that melts at midday below it. You're not kidding about how cold it is up here at night, I couldn't allow my self to sleep last night. I paced constantly to avoid losing body heat," Jessie remembers painfully.

Brock observes,"Look there's not too much to make into a fire up here, but I know the place is lousy with geodudes. Geodude dung is hard and mostly carbon, it'll burn like coal. I suggest we hunt up a bagful on our hike to your humble abode."

She agrees and they pick their way up the valley, eyes scanning the field of rock they hop across, occasionally scooping up a hard black nugget from between the boulders. He looks over at her covertly, he notices that she's lithe, even athletic. He also notices that her neck, shoulders, and midsection are exposed, he clears his throat.

"Ahem! Ah, Jessie, I can't begin to feel warm looking at you. C'mon over here and look in my pack. There's a sheepskin leather jacket rolled up in the bottom, please put it on with my compliments."

She stops and stares at him. What was this? An act of kindness from a twerp? It seems like the nicest thing anyone save for James and Meowth had done for her in years. "Um, sure, and...thanks."

"It's the least I can do, seeing as how I've made off with your jacket because of this blasted shoulder," he offers lamely.

She looks at him with luminous eyes, "You're a better person than I gave you credit for."

"You too Jessie," he says feeling a little light-headed.

They stop staring at each other and separate, going back to their slow hike searching for fuel as they go. They arrive at he cave. It has a tall opening, but narrows as it penetrates the mountain. A chamber just big enough for a couple of sleeping bags and a fire on the level floor opens up about 50 metres into the cave.

"It's dark, but it's shelter," Jessie observes, "I had to kick out a few zubat and a golbat, now we coexist, sort of," she says looking around a bit warily.

They pile their fuel on the flat spot, and go to collect some dry grass and sedge from around the edge of the mountain tarn below the cave. The fire flares up from a match supplied by Jessie and they nurse it until the pokémon dung catches. It produces a thick, acrid smoke, but it also provides warmth. It will have to do if they want to survive the clear, frigid night beyond the cave.

An hour later, eyes streaming, Brock finally loses his temper, "You could have picked a better ventilated shelter," he complains, knowing full well that Jessie probably could not.

"I'd like to see if you would have done any better smartass," she snaps. He looks ruefully at her as she pulls the jacket together across her shoulders. She notices the itchiness of the woolen fleece, but thinks, "It's a lot better than being cold." Her head hurts, she's been thinking about the choice Brock presented to her. She's loyal to the Team, but she owes even more loyalty to her partners in crime. And what to do about this kid sitting across from her? She knows she should be tough, be hard, be ruthless, but...she can't. She's a failure. She hangs her aching head and produces a heartfelt snarl, "Arrggh!" Startling Brock.

"Anything I can do for you?" he asks, realizing his true helplessness.

"Can you turn back the clock? Change my life?" she's desperately upset.

"No on the first count. Perhaps I could offer something for number two."

"How?" she demands, her smoke reddened eyes glowing across the embers.

He speaks slowly, carefully, "It seems to me your 'best' option is to go back to James. From there I will try to intercede for you with Ash and Jenny. If you voluntarily return Pikachu combined with my testimony perhaps Ash'll drop the charges or Jenny will look the other way."

"You'd do that?" she's incredulous.

"If you come clean. After all you've done for me I won't see you penned up somewhere. You're too...alive, too, um, exciting to be so...limited."

She smiles quietly and looks evenly at him across the smoky fire, there is also smokiness in her visage. "What if you underestimate your influence with your friends? Thanks all the same."

He looks at that mysterious face wreathed in red hair, loose strands falling around her cat-like eyes, swallows and says, "It's a gamble you'll have to take Jessie. I promise to do my best for you and James."

"I suppose I'll take it then, it's better than dragging you to some Team Rocket outpost across the mountains. I haven't the stomach to dispose of you," she says looking defeated.

He decides to divert her attention, "How did you know we were coming to this obscure tourney? Or are you here on other business?"

She stiffens, "None of your...," then she goes slacker although her eyes betray anxiety, "Oh why not?" She pauses, lowering her voice as if there were listening devices planted somewhere. She starts again, "A powerful and extremely rare pokémon is rumoured to occur in this region, it's name is Mew."

"I've heard some rumours since I got here," Brock replies, "What do you know about it?"

"Old Team Rocket files and documents refer to it, a talented woman agent was lost seeking it. This Myiamoto shares her surname with me. Cassidy once told me she's related to me somehow, in fact she said this woman was the mother I can't remember, who abandoned me at two. Of course Cass might only say something to hurt me..."

"Huh," he murmurs, "I never thought we had anything in common, I lost my mom a long time ago too."

"You did?" she blinks and looks wistful, "My youth was like lying on a bed of nails, seven foster homes, most of them bad." She shudders involuntarily.

"I didn't lose mom so long ago I couldn't remember her, but I raised my siblings and took over the Pewter City gym. To this day I'm not sure how I managed, guess I simply had to do it, so I did. So Team Rocket's here to find Mew?" he says steering the conversation back to its main course.

"Uh huh, and don't spread it around. It wouldn't do much for your health."

An idea bursts upon Brock, he blurts it out, "Hey maybe we could help you look for this phantom. If it's a wild pokémon it's fair game."

"You're kidding! Do you have any idea the sort of weapon such a pokémon would be in Team Rocket's possession? You really want to help us get our hands on it?" she says half laughing.

"Guess I'm not thinking too clearly in this smoke. But why couldn't you make this a freelance operation? Since you might learn something about your mom's fate it's really a personal mission for you."

"A freelance operation?" she laughs, her voice derisive and high, "Are you insane?"

"I'm serious, you think Team Rocket will appreciate what you're doing now? Besides their reach isn't so long here. You should try. Success would be sweet!" he's earnest and can't quite believe what he's saying.

She takes on a devil may care air, and laughs more warmly, "You know you've almost got me believing you. I'm starting to see the advantage of a nice, quiet jail cell. Let's get out of here early tomorrow."

..............................................

"Was your dinner OK?" the policewoman leans casually with right hand against the bats of James' cell. She looks too solicitous, her eyes are soft, her face is a bit flushed. He notices the top couple of buttons on her blue tunic are undone.

"It was jailhouse food, pretty average I suppose. Why do you care? Do you have to eat it too?" he says hoping he sounds relaxed.

"Thank goodness no!" she giggles, "Hey, I've got a bottle of Chilean sherry in the office. I'd love to share it. What do you say?"

"Can they really call it sherry if it's not from Spain?"

"Ooh, a nitpicker. Maybe not, but it tastes good and should be shared."

He now knows why she's flushed and casual. Maybe he can take advantage of this apparently naïve little cop. "Um, sure, but aren't you supposed to not drink on duty?"

"Not really, but things are so quiet on the pokémon front around here things slide," she calls back as she goes out to get the bottle and glasses.

She returns, puts her glass on the floor, and balances bottle and James' glass awkwardly in her arms as she shifts her weight from left to right to balance her left hand. She looks vulnerable to James as she shyly passes the glass to him and searches his eyes for approval. "You like taking chances more than some Jennys I've met," he observes sipping the strong wine and appreciating the warming feel in his throat and chest.

"Good looking guys like you are scarce in this town, at least for gals like me. I just want to see if I can get to know you better."

"I think enough of myself to not argue the point. But what about that Brock kid, he actually worships you. I'm your adversary."

She leans her face against the bars close to his, he sees a wistful sadness in her eyes. "To tell the truth there's no excitement for me in an Eagle Scout like Brock. He's sweet, the way a puppy is sweet. I want a full grown growlithe."

"Funny you should mention growlithes. I used to train a growlithe, but I left it with my cold fish parents."

"I knew you were a growlithe trainer, somehow it just fits you!" she enthuses. "I was going to try and seduce you to get out of here, but to be honest I'd rather not leave you with the humiliating truth in this jail. I have a partner, and for all I know she loves me. So I'll share your wine I suppose, but don't get any romantic notions."

She stiffens, but there's no violent emotion, just blanching altering the appealing rosiness in her face, the sadness remains. "You don't suppose I didn't expect to be used by you? I'd just as soon be left alone here with you never having really loved me than to have never felt your warmth. My life has been that boring." She straightens her back, rearranges her tunic, smoothes her skirt, a tear trickles down her face. "You're a far too honourable thief JP," she sniffs.

He stares after her retreating back, and wonders about what might be but for more honesty than any thief should have. What would it be like to enter the mind of this obviously unorthodox Jenny? He sips some more wine, and pictures Jessie handing Pikachu to the local Rocket chief exec, "You go girl," he murmurs, wondering to whom he addresses it.

..........................................

It is 8:30 AM, Jenny is sitting at her desk trying to stare a hole in the empty sherry bottle. Yeah, she killed it she thinks, just like that conceited, blue-haired dandy killed her emotionally last night. The street door opens and, speaking of conceit, the Ketchem kid comes in bold as brass. "Hey we told you we'd get my Pikachu back, we always do." Behind him comes that skinny carrot-top girl Misty, then there's...Jessie. That's her all right, not a bad looking woman, she looks bruised, pale, but resolved. Then comes that scary Brock guy. He's looking subdued too, he wears a Team Rocket white blazer as a sling supporting his left arm. Things are happening too early in the morning, she thinks through a night's worth of fortified wine. Jessie is wearing a leather jacket draped over he shoulders as she looks uneasily around the office. "Well, what can we do for you?" Jenny says to no one in particular.

Brock comes forward talking too fast, just like yesterday. "It's like this Officer Jenny. Jessie here has given Pikachu back. She's hoping Ash will drop charges, and she and James can leave here. She saved me up in the mountains and I really think you should help her out. Considering our feelings (yours and mine) for each other I was sort of hoping you might let this one slide for my sake as well as James' and Jessie's," he's breathless and beet red after finishing this little speech.

She looks away from Brock's earnest, smiling face as quickly as she can looking for a sane face to settle upon. Jessie looks tired and haggard, Ash smug, and Misty looks cross. She settles on Ash. "Well? Are you dropping charges?"

He looks confused, looks to Brock who nods, and says, "I dunno, I'll have to think about it." Brock almost collapses.

Jessie shoots Brock a killing glance as Jenny takes her into the back room for processing. Brock looks helpless, Ash looks smug, and Misty looks, well, cross.

"Name?" she asks the seated Jessie.

"Jessica Musashi," Jessie says softly. "Where's James?"

"That's for me to know and you to find out Miss Musashi,"Jenny says as she carefully writes out the name.

"Age?" "22", "Occupation?" "You know what I do". "Do I?" "Yes you do." She writes down "Thief, Team Rocket."

The processing goes smoothly enough, now to choose a cell. She deliberately picks a cell at the far end of the building from James. She is determined in this but why? "I don't like her, and I like him," she says to herself with a firmness that surprises her. "She's a bad influence on him," she adds almost for rational confirmation.

"OK, here we go Miss Musashi, we hope you enjoy your stay."

The cell door closes, Jessie looks up again appearing frightened, "Where is James?" she demands again.

Jenny feels a brief twinge in her chest, but it passes. "None of your business," she snaps, turns on her heel and is gone down the hall ignoring the repeated question.

..........................................

Brock stands in front of the garish tropical scene hanging on the hotel wall and turns to look darkly at his young friend. "I thought we had this worked out. What's the big idea Ash! Can't stick to a deal, even with a friend, when those three are involved?"

Ash looks confused, but also a bit embarrassed, whether for his friend or himself is unclear. "Brock you can't trust Jessie, the minute we let down our guard, bam! They'll lift Pikachu."

"Pretty clever ploy, handing Pikachu back to you before snatching it again! Guess these guys like the game more than winning it. Look Ash, I know I can trust her, she could have left me to die up there, and she didn't, what her reasons were I can't fathom, but I think both of them are more decent at heart than they want to believe themselves."

"I ...I can't allow myself to believe you Brock. That's why I changed my mind."

"If you can't do it because it's Jessie and James then do it for me. If I'm wrong I'll just leave and never bother you again. I haven't asked for much from you little bud, could you do this for me?"

Ash sighs, "Maybe," "Not good enough," rejoins Brock. Ash relents. "OK, OK. I'll do it. But what's this other thing you were trying to tell me?"

"I want to join forces with James and Jessie to look for a pokémon up in the mountains. They know more about this Mew rumour we've heard than we do. Seems Team Rocket has been after it for years. There's a mystery too, a Rocket agent disappeared 20 years ago up there leaving no trace. If we find Mew, we may clear up that story too."

"What's the big deal?" Ash says unconvinced.

" This is the big deal Ash, this Mew is a legend, like Lugia or Hoh-oh. We could be famous, and if one of our party caught it...well we might just have a ticket to Elite Four status in short order."

Ash doesn't need to do calculus to see Brock's point. Pokémon Master! Perhaps the youngest ever! This fires his young imagination. "What if Jessie or James got it? Won't it go to Team Rocket?"

"I don't think so, Jessie seemed pretty excited about looking for it on her own when we discussed it on our way off the mountain. All we can do is talk to them, once you drop charges."

"All right, let's do it."

"Thanks Ash, I'm sure you won't regret it."

.........................................

James looks up when he hears a footfall outside his cell. It's that cop again looking unsure of herself. "Well what do you want now?" he asks warily.

The sadness in her eyes is there again, it's as if it never leaves her. "Look, about last night..."

"I don't remember anything about it, too much sherry I think."

"Thanks, but something's come up, and I've got to ask you some questions," she's tentative.

"Official business? Or more nonsense?" he says cocking an eyebrow at her.

"Nonsense, I'm afraid," she says weakly, "Do you find me attractive?"

He looks at her, and decides to be honest, "You're pretty, I like your eyes, you have a nice voice. You're also, uh..." how to say it?

"A little mousey?" she says, cutting him off.

"Well... yes". She looks at the floor, "I knew it." 

"What about your partner? What is it about her that you love? What's she got that I don't?" These questions come rapid fire in a plaintive tone.

"First I don't know if I love Jessie, she's quite simply my best friend, yin to my yang. I'm comfortable around her. She's really different from you, she's confident about her looks, knows what she wants and lets nothing stand in her way, she's short tempered, she's heroic when she wants to be..." he trails off.

"Surely I might have some of those qualities if you gave me a chance. If she's so certain about what she wants, why aren't you sure she loves you?"

"You don't know about her past, even I don't know everything. I can tell you this, she's afraid to tell anybody she loves them. She's been damaged by something before I met her, she fears the pain will happen again if she opens up."

Jenny looks more woeful than ever, "What if I told you Jessie was brought in this morning and I assigned her a cell far from yours? You'd hate me wouldn't you?"

" Are you telling me this?" he asks. She nods, a tear trickles down her cheek. "I'd say you've taken care of heroic," he states softly, "Might you put us together?"

Her head sinks, and she nods again.

.......................................

"Hi," a weak feminine voice intrudes on Jessie's brooding about double crosses and James' whereabouts.

"What do you want?" Jessie says irritably. 

"I...I want to apologize to you for my earlier actions," Jessie can now see Officer Jenny has been crying, still is really.

"What happened to you? By rights I'm the one who ought to be weeping."

"Oh...I admire your partner too much, his looks, his polish. I'm a silly girl..." the tears start to fall again.

"Not silly at all, lots of girls find James attractive. So he is here after all?" Jessie is unsure how to react to this scene in front of her.

"Yes I am....I let jealousy, baseless jealousy, affect my judgement. I shouldn't keep two people who obviously care about each other about each other apart."

" What?" Jessie hears herself and wonders at her vehemence, "What did James say about us? We have a wonderful relationship as partners, but I don't want to misrepresent our status."

"James said you'd say as much," Jenny says sadly, "I understand about not wanting to be hurt. Boy do I ever." And she squeezes her eyes shut again, turns around and blows her nose delicately.

Jessie is starting to feel too committed to a relationship by this presuming lady cop. She starts a low simmer, but decides to keep silent about it. "So what are you going to do?" is all she ventures in a clipped tone.

Jenny looks up finally, "Well, I'm going to get you two together of course. If James isn't happy I can't be happy either."

"Hopeless little romantic!" Jessie says to herself. "Well, thank you, maybe you could tell me where Meowth is as well? he's a friend of mine too you know."

"He's in the local Pokémon Centre under the care of Nurse Joy until we locate his rightful owner."

"Surely he told you his owner is Giovanni of Viridian Gym."

"Uh huh, and he won't explain how he came to be in your company," nods Jenny.

"No, I suppose he wouldn't," mutters Jessie, "OK. I guess I'm ready for my change of address," she sighs.

Jenny unlocks the door and swings it open and Jessie steps into the hall. Jessie quickly considers her ability to overpower the distraught Jenny but relents. The young woman looks into her eyes, and she feels an unexpected kinship with the poor, desperate girl. "What is your problem?" she says almost as a defence against this feeling.

"Just like you I think, I'm greedy. My greed is for companionship, and yours is for fame and power," Jenny's warm brown eyes are suddenly calm.

"Oh Lord, you're right!" "I know."

They walk much of the rest of the way in silence, until Jessie can hold her peace no longer.

"Jenny if you're so obsessed about love why not the Brock kid? He seems pretty nice, and he practically throws himself at you."

Jenny knits her brow, she sighs, "I guess I want something I can't have."

Jessie closes her eyes, "I can identify with that."

"Here we are," Jenny says slowing her pace.

James peers out at them, "You two hitting it off?"

"Oh sure, " sighs Officer Jenny, "Just fine."

"Yeah, like sisters," notes Jessie letting her wry smile show for the first time in hours.

"Miss me?"

"Not as much as Ash likely missed Pikachu," he says deadpan. "Glad to have a familiar roommate."

Jenny is still looking rueful, tentatively interrupts the partners, "I'll leave you two to catch up. I've got some paperwork to take care of."

James watches her slowly leave and offers, "Thank you Jenny, you have a big heart."

"Yeah sure," she says to herself, "Yeah sure."

.......................................

"Poor girl" observes Jessie, "She's letting her heart have way to much say in her affairs."

"Aw c'mon Jess, she means well," James replies.

"Damning her with pretty faint praise lady killer," she retorts.

"I wasn't going to mislead her, even if it got me out of here," he offers defensively.

"Mislead her about what? You're making an awful lot of a business relationship aren't you?"

"Am I?" he leaves it at that.

She decides to change the subject, she's not going to wade into that swamp, "Well! I never thought I would find any pleasure in being put into a cell until now."

"It's good to see you Jess," James says with feeling.

"You're a sight for sore eyes yourself," a more sphinxlike Jessie returns.

"I was sure you got away clean, you were the one with the good maps and a route to the outpost. What happened?"

"Scruples happened. The sweet smell of success must've made me dizzy. I half buried that Brock lad in talus and couldn't leave it at that. No, our little Jessie had to get all noble with the main chance in her grasp," she recounts regretfully.

"So you helped him?"

"Yeah, he's not such a bad sort you know. He actually treated me like a person, one with feelings. Anyway, I stayed consistent, didn't run off or drag him with me, let him talk me into giving myself up, ostensibly because I ought to be with you. As if you haven't been a weight chained to my ankle all these years. But I decided to chance that he could influence Ash into dropping charges. That's me always a sucker when it really counts. So, here I am, fresh as rose after frost," she ends her soliloquy by throwing herself on the cot and facing the wall.

"So, I guess I should be jealous that you think Brock treats you as a person with feelings. The implication is I don't," James says a tad sniffily.

"Aw, James! I didn't mean it that way. You're the only person who has even made the attempt to understand me until this kid made some little effort. I believe you are jealous!" she colours as she speaks.

"What of it? It will be a bright day in the underworld before you ever warm up to anyone. That Jenny has more sympathy, sweetness, and vulnerability in her little fingernail than you have in your soul Jessie."

Where did that well up from? "Yes James and you must be so pleased that she's your victim! That's just it James, all you guys want are victims, well I won't go there!" Ah but she has, she realizes, she's waded deep into the swamp after all. She turns to the wall and sulks.

.........................................


	3. Uneasy Alliance

The Rollercoaster Ride - Part 3

..............................................

Cute would describe her if not for a dark scowl,this fifteen year old in the cutoffs, and short yellow tank-top, with her helmet of spiky strawberry blonde hair, and sea-green eyes. She'd rather not be cute, she'd much rather be stylish and sultry. She walks between two young men. Brock is at her left, and Ash at her right hand. She glances at Ash, that round-faced boy with the large eyes and small nose with a tousled mop of loose black hair pressed down firmly under a red and white cap. She feels like Cassandra before the Horse of Troy, she can see the future better than these two goofs about to open a jail cell and unleash evil onto the world. Ash! He'll probably come out of this a hero! Doesn't he always? She wishes vehemently that he could feel one moment of regret for a false move, "Steps in crap, smells like a rose!" she fumes to herself. He must have some sort of good luck charm that never leaves him in his hour of need. Not for the first time, the sickening thought that she might be that talisman washes over her. "you guys have had some pretty stupid ideas, but this one is the worst!" she says to air for all she knows.

"We've been over this Misty," Brock says trying to put an end to another long harangue. "James and Jessie can help us look for Mew. Jessie's looking for the mom she never knew. We can trust her."

"Would you look at who you're trusting! She doesn't just train a snake, she is a snake! Snakes never know their moms, they just hatch!"

"Aw c'mon Mist," says the ever confident Ash. "We've always handled those three before, we'll do it again."

"I'd just hate to have to say 'I told you so',"she says.

"No doubt you'd relish it," Ash says looking straight ahead.

"Here's the police station," says Brock.

They pass through the door, wave to the duty officer behind the main desk and head back to the desk next to the lockup. A tired and wan looking Jenny looks up a them appearing defeated. "Hi kids, what can I do for you?"

"I'm dropping charges against Jessie and James," Ash says.

Jenny's jaw slackens a bit, "All right..." she says very slowly. "Why the change of heart?"

"Jessie brought Pikachu back, and patched up Brock after battling him. No real harm, no foul," Ash states.

"Right..." she looks at Misty and Brock but finds little useful information. Brock is mouth breathing a bit too heavily and trying to look into her soul, and Misty looks, well, cross.

She reaches up for the keys again, feeling very weary. She really does not want to see HIM right now.

The three youngsters follow Jenny into the jail. She calls out to the prisoners, "Look lively Jessie and James, Mr. Ketchem has decided to drop charges against you. You are free to go." She then unlocks the door and swings it open.

"You must be kidding," James can't believe it.

"I do not kid Mr. Morgan," the policewoman says as evenly as she can, "Whatever I have said to you, I meant it sincerely," she continues catching his eye with what she hopes is a reproachful glance.

Jessie looks past Jenny's shoulder to Brock, and winks at him, "Does this mean we can retrieve Meowth?" she asks.

"That's up to Nurse Joy, from my perspective there's no proof you stole him from this Giovanni he claims as his trainer, but Joy's in charge of him now," Jenny offers.

"Don't get too choked up saying thanks," Ash interjects feeling forgotten.

"Um, thanks Ash," Jessie says wrinkling her nose slightly.

"We need to discuss our, er, expedition guys,"Brock points out uncharacteristically forgetting Officer Jenny's presence.

"What expedition?" Jenny is not deaf.

Jessie rolls her eyes and groans, "The first rule in a secret mission is to keep it secret!"

"I get the distinct impression I am being used people. I am not a tool! I should lock you all up!" a furious Jenny growls. "What gives her?"

Brock is flushed crimson, and stammering, "Uh, well..it's like this. Fighting Jessie's pokémon caused my injuries, she patched me up, and we spent the night in a cave. We got to talking. Somehow it came around to what she and James were doing in Bolivia. Seems there's this pokémon..."

"Mew," says Jenny, "Anybody who knows pokémon around here has heard that story."

"Has anybody not heard of it?" complains James, "And what's this talk of an expedition with these... these... twerps!"

"This is going very badly," Jessie says understating mightily.

"Look, I can take my dinner break now. There's an open air café around the corner. We can talk about this there," offers Jenny.

She leaves them to announce her break to the duty officer. The five eye each other warily. "A fine start to a cooperative venture," Misty observes hitting every syllable in 'cooperative' with emphasis. She looks sullenly at Jessie, who barely resists pulling down her eyelid and sticking outher tongue at the insolent teen.

Once ensconced at an isolated table on the back verandah of the café, Jenny kicks off the discussion. "So, Team Rocket is still interested in Mew?"

"Uh huh," says Jessie. "It is believed to be a psy pokémon with considerable power. Our Boss wants it. We blew our cover here in an attempt to capture Ash's Pikachu because well...we're obsessed with that little mission. That was mistake number one, number two was losing two members of the field team to arrest, number three was...my failure to follow through after injuring Brock here, I'm not much of an agent..."

"But you are ...a better person for it," Jenny offers touching Jessie's gloved hand.

Jessie flinches and pulls her hand away, nonetheless looks at Jenny with some gratitude and continues, "We hit upon a plan to enlist the twer..I mean the kids' aid in looking for Mew. I...agreed...with Brock that this should be a freelance operation for our team, if anyone should capture Mew it belongs to them alone."

James is momentarily speechless, then blurts out, "You're kidding!"

Jenny looks annoyed, "Can't you say anything else?"

"But if HQ found out about this...we might be terminated!" James has gone quite pale.

"I realize this is a terrible risk, but finding and capturing Mew might buy us some time. The boss will be more concerned with Mew than with any of us," Jessie says matter-of-factly. "There's one more detail, do you recall why I was so excited about this assignment James?"

"It had to do with Team Rocket's earlier attempt to find Mew. A highly regarded agent disappeared in the Andes 20 years ago."

"Yes," says Jenny, "The stories still circulate here about a handsome woman in a black uniform who went off to Pico del Muerte and never returned. She asked around about Mew all over town."

Jessie continues "This agent's name was Myiamoto Musashi, I share a name with her, she disappeared 20 years ago, my mother abandoned me to foster care at that time. I was also informed by a ...colleague, that this agent may be my mother," she stops, sighs and goes on, "I want to see if Ican learn something about this woman's fate and see if she really was my mom."

"So when do we start?" asks Officer Jenny.

"Whoa." interjects Brock, "Who said you were in on this?"

"My ability to stop you as an officer of the law," Jenny says quietly but firmly.

"You are an odd Jenny, aren't you?" James adds in consternation.

"I figure you need police protection. What you said about Team Rocket convinces me I need to ride shotgun on this trip," she notes.

"A likely excuse," says Jessie, "But I don't think we have much choice. I guess that makes eight of us counting Meowth and Pikachu."

Jessie looks around the table, Brock seems pleased, Ash looks pretty cocky, Jenny resolved, James a bit shell-shocked but ready to follow, and Misty looks distrustfully into her eyes, and seems...cross.

..................................................

"Shopping with the girls," Jessie observes sourly to herself. The uneasy alliance has set aside a couple of days for collecting supplies and food, the guys put themselves in charge of gadgetry and material supplies leaving the food to, guess who? And they are wrangling.

"No way! We're not taking any Spam!" protests Misty stridently.

"Look", Jenny is saying, "If we want meat protein we'll need something that can keep, and not lay us up in camp for days with latrine disorders."

"I don't like Spam! Besides who can trust meat that keeps, like forever? I personally think that stuff gives me 'latrine disorders'," Misty is adamant.

"Hey kid you don't have to eat it with the rest of us. I'll have your Spam and you can have the pineapple ring," Jessie is getting tired of the bickering.

"I'm not talking to you!" Misty snaps at Jessie, "Talk to me through her," she says pointing at the uncomfortable Officer Jenny.

Jessie speaks through clenched teeth, "Look carrot-top I know you hate my guts, but I'm going

to have to lug them around with the rest of me for the next few days on this little adventure. Would you please try to be civil, if not happy, we need to rely on each other a bit."

Misty opens her mouth, for some reason thinks better of it, and stares appraisingly at Jessie, finally she speaks, "I'd like you a lot better Rocket Red if you were a lot less like me. It's an unflattering reflection."

Jessie colours to the hair roots, "That definitely is not a compliment, but you have a point there," then she smirks, "but your hair covers it." 

Suddenly they are all laughing. Shopping remains tense, but it gets done a little more smoothly.

.............................................

Ash, Brock and James are at the door of the La Paz Pokémon Centre. James looks at Brock and says what is on everyone's mind, "This will go a lot more

smoothly if you can rein in your libido around Joy. All we need to do is pick up Meowth and leave, OK?"

"I haven't spared a thought about Joy since I found out OJ is gonna come with us. No problem," notes Brock happily.

"Poor kid", thinks James. "If you only knew what 'OJ' wants you might spare a kind thought for Joy."

Ash pushes the door open and strides up to the front desk with James and Brock coming after him. "Hi Nurse Joy, I dropped charges against James and Jessie and Officer Jenny says it ought to be alright to let Meowth rejoin those two reprobates."

Joy looks uncertain, "This Meowth is an unusual, uh...case. But I think we have come to an understanding. He informs me he's not at liberty to connect his master to Jessie and James except to admit that he has this Giovanni's permission to work with them. He says Giovanni doesn't believe that Jessie and James are Team Rocket operatives. We've been on pretty friendly terms since I allowed him to order take out food. I suppose I have no business going against his master's wishes whatever my misgivings," she says finishing with a deep sigh.

She fishes in a drawer for a key card, having settled on one of an assortment she walks from behind the counter and goes to a door on the east side of the building. "This will only take a minute," she says over her shoulder.

A familiar voice comes from the open doorway, "Well, it's about time sister." The cat pokémon saunters out next to Joy with a swagger that implies who's in charge.

"Hey Jimmy, what's wit da strange bedfellows?" Meowth asks familiarly.

"A long story Meowth, we'll fill you in on the way back to the hotel," James says with a sardonic smile on his face.

Joy looks sad, "Well, I am sorry to see you go. I haven't laughed so much in months."

"Hey, it's been a slice Joy. I promise ta drop by sometime," Meowth purrs and winks.

"You do that."

"Sure t'ing."

With the goodbyes taken care of Meowth joins James, Ash and Brock, and heads for the door. "Seriously, what gives? How come youse guys are hanging?"

"Remember Mew?" James murmurs.

"Hey! Keep it down. Da walls have ears, an' so do dese two," Meowth cries.

"They know about the mission. Believe it or not it's Jessie's fault."

"Dames, can't trust 'em", Meowth grouses, "But I sure thought Jess was exception."

"I guess our acquaintance Brock here is more insinuating and charming than we give him credit for. He's the one she told," says James rather too jocularly for Brock it seems.

"Her guard was down, she had just decided to bring Pikachu back, had her eyes full of smoke, and it was cold," Brock offers trying to be chivalrous.

"There's one more thing," James says sighing, "This is not a Team Rocket operation anymore either."

"What?" Meowth stops dead in his tracks. "Are you suicidal?"

"Maybe," James is pale again.

"Perhaps you forget who my boss is," Meowth growls, "What do you think he's gonna do? or what my duty is here?"

"Who is your boss?" asks Ash, "All I saw at Viridian Gym was you and Double Trouble. I think I get it!"

"Crap! If you get it den..." Meowth blanches.

"You've got a big mouth too, don't you?" James observes. "Look we've burned so many bridges we'll never get back to Team Rocket in one piece, you might as well give in and join the party, such as it is."

Meowth closes his large eyes, "OK, OK, ya got me, whether ya want me or not! I'm in."

"I knew you'd see it our way," James says soothingly.

.........................................

Two days later the eight living souls, those not in pokéballs at any rate, on the mission for Mew pile out of a van that serves as a taxi service to

villages distant from La Paz. The six people and the two small pokémon unload the packs, bedrolls and tents from the back of the van as the driver leans against the side of the vehicle smoking an unfiltered cigarette. James settles with the driver, and walks back to his companions. "It's a bit shorter distance over the pass you two had your battle within from this spot," James observes to Jessie and Brock.

"Once we're through that pass, we need to cross a high valley, then we're at the foot of Pico del Muerte,' adds Jessie.

Jenny joins the conversation, "You know that mountain earned its name for good reason. A lot of climbers have died up there."

"Nothing we can't handle," puts in Ash.

"Yeah sure," Misty is sarcastic.

"Well, let's load up, and get going. We've got a long climb ahead of us," says Brock.

The hikers soon enter a solid rhythm, although the thin air forces many rest stops because none are really used to it. On such a stop Jessie decides out of the blue to rest her bones next to Misty. The girl is surprised, but doesn't shy, she just looks evenly and skeptically at the young woman.

"So kid, what the heck is it about me that reminds you of yourself? It's been bugging me for days,"Jessie looks sincerely puzzled.

"Well, your temper for one, you don't suffer the fools you work with gladly. Same thing for me and those fellows," Misty says inclining her head subtly in the direction of Brock and Ash. Before Jessie can comment Misty continues, "Second, we share sharp tongues, and we don't care who bleeds when we use them."

"I knew you weren't complimenting me," Jessie sighs, "What else?"

"How to say this? We're neither of us too humble. But for all our bravado we wish someone would confirm our opinions. So I think you're hiding insecurity, just like me."

"No way! You don't know what you're talking about!" Jessie parries.

"Then how come you blow up at me every time I call you old and ugly?"

Jessie goes beet red with fury in her eyes, then recovers what little of her cool remains, "Touché", she gasps.

"Ha! See? I told you," snickers the slender girl.

Jessie's eyes suddenly look deep and misted, "You know, I can remember what it was like to be 14 or 15. I wasn't so different from you. For instance I so wanted Princess Dolls and I never ever got them."

Misty sucks in air sharply, "Not ever huh? That's pretty awful."

"Well, at least you have yours kid," the older girl says companionably.

"Yeah, so I do," returns Misty thoughtfully.

"Let's get going again, I think I've got my wind back," Jessie offers and she's on her feet and off. Misty takes a few seconds to stare at her back, and sets off herself.

..........................................

The party stops for a midday repast at the meltwater pond below Jessie's cave. Brock makes a point of seating himself next to Officer Jenny. Jenny is not in uniform, she wears a green workshirt with a blue turtleneck under it, and blue jeans. "How're you doing? Is there anything I can do for you?" he asks a bit too earnestly. She looks at him rather like a fox might at a slightly incompetent young hound, with not much respect but some fear. "I'm fine, thank you," she says trying to sound demure.

"It seems like this gives us an opportunity to get to know each other," he offers.

She trys not to imply acceptance, "I don't know if I really want ..."

"Hi, may I join you two?" it's James, "Jessie and Misty are talking again, couldn't get them to say two words in town and now this..."

"I suppose you could sit here," Jenny says with some relief and a bit too much thankfulness in her eyes.

"Yeah sure," says a less thrilled Brock.

"So Brock how exactly did you get hurt here?" James queries.

"I told Onix to use sandstorm and Jessie parried by ordering Arbok to use strength. The boulder Arbok tossed hit that wall over there, and I got pinned under some of the rubble," Brock's heart is not in this retelling of his misadventure.

"Y'know," he says suddenly, "It's funny but when I came to I could have sworn I was looking at an angel or something, then I figured out it was Jessie. What a case of mistaken identity." But when he thinks of it again he isn't so sure as he looks at the strong redhead sitting on a rock next to Misty.

"Fancy that," Jenny says just to keep the conversation going in this direction, looking sidelong at James.

James colours slightly, "Jessie is complex Brock, I hope you understand that."

Brock looks James in the face, "Yes, I accept that."

James shakes his head slowly, and looks off into the distance over Brock's shoulder, "So Jenny," he says, "Have you ever trekked through the valley

ahead?"

"Yes, it's pretty rocky, but there's not much up and down, we'll have plenty of up once we get to Pico del Muerte."

"So, there's no much opposition until the climb," Brock sounds hopeful.

"I didn't say that, the wild pokémon around here can be aggressive, especially those rhyhorn that have evolved into rhydon," Jenny adds.

"Great," says James not looking at all enthusiastic.

Jenny smiles kindly at James, "It's not that bad, sometimes one never even sees a rhyhorn in the valley, maybe we'll only see a graveler or two."

"Heh, fun around every corner," says James, "Well, we'll cross that one when we get there. Shall we be off?"

.......................................

Meowth is regaling James about his lunchtime conversation with Ash, "den da kid sez whatta I do wit da meowth I caught last year? I sez 'kid, ya gotta learn it pay day'..."

Jenny can't shake Brock, she looks warily at him, "Brock, what is it about me you find so irresistable?"

This is unexpected, he has to think about it, "Funny, I never thought about it much. Let's see, you're a strong woman who can fend for yourself, you have kind eyes, you fill out your uniform well, you have a sweet smile, and you're forthright."

"How come you're the only one who says so?" she says doubtfully, "If I was really forthright I'd tell you exactly what I'm thinking."

"And what's that?" he says blushing.

"That I came along to be with James, not you," there, she said it.

Brock pales, but is surprisingly calm, "Guess I'm too much of kid, huh?"

"I don't know, I don't go for rugged and self-sufficient I guess, and yes, I find you...too, too enthusiastic, it makes you seem more like a kid looking at a pastry rack than a man trying to know a woman."

Brock falls back and finds himself walking next to Jessie. "That's great", he thinks sarcastically.

"Hello Brock," she says airily.

"I don't really want to talk," he grumbles.

"Jenny shoot you down?" she asks hitting the target.

"What do you care? You're set for life aren't you? It's either James or yourself, am I right?"

"I have a life sentence all right. I passed sentence on myself a long time ago," she says quietly.

Brock looks at the side of her face, he can sense the barrier she has raised, but he can also see some light through the chinks in her armour. She turns her head, looks quizzically at him, she reddens slightly about the cheeks, then quickly looks away.

"You want James as much as Jenny does, don't you?" he's feeling his way.

"I don't know, I suppose so. I understand him better than her. All she wants are his looks and his charm. I don't think she'd want the damaged, haunted young man she'd receive."

"Why am I never an option?" he complains.

She stops suddenly and lets the others pass, "Did I say you weren't an option you striving kid?" She grabs his shoulders, checks that no one is looking back, and kisses him hard on the lips.

"If James throws me over don't hesitate to come around," she says and leaves him, mouth agape wondering what just happened.

........................................


	4. Mountain Magic

The Rollercoaster Ride - Part 4

The Rollercoaster Ride - Part 4

------------------------------------------------

Brock keeps going, but his head hasn't cleared, he hears a seemingly distant voice.

"Hey Brock." it's Ash, "Cm'on and check this out there's some poké sign here."

He comes to, strides forward and kneels to lookat what Ash is gesturing toward. "Hmmmm, could be rhyhorn, but it's too big, a little too

rounded, and there's an awful lot of it. I'd say

there's bona fide rhydon near here."

"It's fresh too," remarks James.

"Yeah, I can still smell da brute," adds Meowth.

"We'll have to proceed with caution," Jenny says looking around with a pair of binoculars fromher pack. "These guys can be surprisingly well hidden among these rocks."

They move on, staying keenly alert to every sound, movement, and smell. Not 100 metres further a roar splits the crisp mountain air.

Jessie whirls spies the beast and warns theothers as she dives behind a rock, she fumbles futilely for Arbok's pokéball. "Go Golbat!" andBrock releases his flying nightmare, "Try confuse ray!" he orders. The rhydon wheels aboutin its confusion, and smashes a nearby boulder.It turns, somehow spots the batlike pokémon and lashes a hail of rock into the air with its tail. A rock smacks Golbat amidships and it falls to earth in a swoon.

The mighty creature stands high above Jessie's hiding place, Brock waves his arms to distract it. Misty shouts, "Go Starmie!" the whirling star cuts the air, "eeyah!" it cries. "Bubblebeam now!" The concentrated bubble cloud hits the rhydon in the face and it roars, turns tail and retreats.

Jessie rises from her refuge, and smiles at Misty and Brock. "Nice work kids, thanks!" she calls out. Jenny looks around, "That was a

little too close for comfort. I'm going to call out Growlithe to sniff out these guys in advance and roar them off."

Two gravelers, and one rhyhorn later, the crew reaches the foot of the mountain. "I guess this is where we set up our base camp," says Brock. They set up their two largest tents, and assemble a circular stone fireplace. Then they all set to pitching their personal tents, and unrolling their sleeping bags.

They start dinner, Spam with cheese and pineapple rings. Misty wrinkles her nose and goes off by herself. Just as they start to eat the meal, Jessie looks off at the girl, lifts the pineapple ring and cheese off her meat, fishes some bread out of her pack and goes over to Misty. She says "Here's the pineapple ring, I thought you'd also like this." Misty smiles and says, "Thanks Jessie, this will do," but the young woman has already gone back to sit with James.

.......................................

Ash, Misty, Brock, James, Jessie, Jenny, Meowth,

and Pikachu gather around the dieing fire to decide who stays at the base and who heads up the mountain.

"I think older, more responsible people should be on the mountain team," James states.

"Well you take care of older," remarks Misty, "But you leave a lot to be desired on responsible."

"You're just trying to leave me out!" complains Ash.

"You do have difficulty meeting the qualifications," muses Misty.

"If we pick four based on those qualities, I'd say we would have, hmmm, Brock, Jenny, James, and... myself," says Jessie a bit too imperiously.

"Look, we need someone to be in charge down here to hold the fort," Jenny puts in, "If it's all the same I'll stay down here and give someone else a chance."

Brock says, "Well that sets me, Jenny would be happier if I weren't here so I guess I'll head up the hill."

"I don't care what anybody says, I came here to go after Mew, not to sit down here," sulks Ash.

"Look twerp," Jessie says impatiently, "Hand me an ultra ball kid, I'll throw it at Mew first should we get the chance."

"I can't trust you. No way!"

"Look, James can stay here, and Misty and Brock can 'keep me honest' for you."

"Hey!" James shouts, "What's the idea? We've always been a team!"

"Meowth has to come with us to interpret Mew's cries," she says, "Two out of three Rockets is the maximum these guys could trust. Jenny needsyour help down here."

James pulls Jessie aside, "You know what Jenny wants, why take a chance if you really want me?"

"I'll take the chance, if she wants you warts and all she has to see your warts without having me to point them out. Besides the twerps will

feel better about us being split up. There's a pokémon up there that might be a key to my past, it's more my business than your on those heights. If I ...don't come back, well...this Jenny wants you and she's a sweet girl," Jessie says looking calm but wistful.

"Aw c'mon Jess, don't talk like that, it doesn't sound like you," James say sadly.

"Maybe I'm not me anymore. If I don't try to find out about this woman's disappearance I won't ever know who 'me' is," she's subdued, "Ihave to do this one without you."

She turns to the others, "James is OK with this, I guess the advance party is settled, it will be Brock, Misty, Meowth and me. Let's all pray the weather holds, shall we?"

Before heading into his tent Ash looks at Misty about to do the same, "Hey Misty, take this." He hands her his pokédex.

"What's this for?" she says looking at the palm storage device.

"If you guys don't catch Mew, would you please point the 'dex at it? I'd like to have the entry. You're gonna see some things I really wanted to see, have fun," he looks less confident than usual.

"As if it's fun to fight your way up ice, rockand snow into thin air looking for a creature that might just be dangerous. You keep an eye on James and Jenny and I'll watch Meowth and Jessie," Misty half wishes he'd say something else.

He smiles shyly at her, "Night Mist."

"'Night Ash, don't let the zubats bite," she smiles back.

.....................................

They are two hours into the climb, Jessie looks back and smiles smugly, "No surprise here, I'm always the trail breaker," she thinks, "C'mon you eternal drags, destiny beckons!" she urges.

Misty looks up at Jessie already on the move again, "What drives that girl?"

"Spite," says Brock matter-of-factly, "She's never gonna let the world's poor opinion and treatment of her destroy her, it would be crushing to admit to herself she might be less than she believes."

"What makes you such an expert on the Queen of Mean? A few hours with her?" Misty says out of hand.

"Dunno, I just can tell her guard is up all the time. It's the way she looks at you when she talks to you. Most of the time she won't look you in the eye. I can just tell there's a lot of hurt and denial there."

"How much hurt does it take to make a Jessie?" Misty wonders.

"Let's ask Meowth," says Brock looking over his shoulder and slowing his pace.

Meowth is in his own little world of misery, "Man! Da tings I haveta do. I am one pooped kitty," he looks up and sees Brock standing in the track ahead of him.

"Hey Meowth, we want to ask you a couple of questions."

"About what?" the cat asks warily.

"We wondered if you knew a thing or two about Jessie's past," says Misty.

"So what if I do?"

"Well, how's she been hurt? What makes her so angry at, well ...everything?"

"I know she flunked outta da Pokémon Academy wit James, youse guys know about da bike gang, but dat wuz a happy memory. She sez guys have ditched her and nobody can love her, she had no kid friends and never had kids day when she wuz a squirt, and Princess Day made her cry every year."

"I almost feel sorry now," Misty says thoughtfully.

"She told me she washed out of being a pokémon nurse, that takes care of one dream she had," Brock adds, "and I guess she's an orphan, she never knew her mom and dad, and went through seven foster homes."

"Didn't she once say she thought Santa Claus had stolen toys from her?" Misty remembers.

"Yeh, and she wuz sure St. Nick wuz a scam. Nobody gives her a break," Meowth says, "What's wit youse two? Ya think ya can psych out Jess?

Don't count on it! On stuff like dis she thinks six moves ahead," he cackles.

"Naw," Brock sighs, "We were just curious. I guess we'd better catch up some or we'll get chewed out."

.............................................

The blue haired girl with the sad eyes sits down next to him and James shifts uncomfortably.

"Look I'm not going to jump you or say anything stupid, if that's what you think," Jenny sighsraggedly.

"I don't know what to think, the woman I have kept company with for five years has walked off up a dangerous mountain, and left me with someone who she ought to be insanely jealous of if she really loved me," he says distantly.

"Right now I think she may have a higher duty to find some things out. She may never have a love life worth the name if she doesn't straighten some things out for herself." Jenny offers sympathetically.

"Are you rooting for her?" James asks disbelievingly.

"I'm rooting for you, if she's the one, you'll be happy, and that wouldn't hurt my feelings. Just promise to send someone handsome my way after the wedding."

"And you don't want an Eagle Scout? You don't know what's good for you," he laughs. "Jessie said you need to see my bad qualities, I guess trying to protect her from my straying wasn't one of them. Well, I'm a man running very fast from success and I am succeeding at that very nicely thank you."

"I told you that first night when we had the sherry that I'm more interested in a romantic adventure than commitment from you. It's the image of you as a dashing cavalier I like, don't confuse me with real life detail," she rises and walks off a short distance and looks back over her shoulder. "I'm a career woman James, I just want something I can remember on a lonely night." She is gone around a boulder.

He wonders if he should rise and follow, but suppresses it, "Not now, I'm too worried about what's going on up the mountain." He sighs, "Strange Jenny alright."

.....................................

It's cold in the tent, but warm in the sleeping bag. Jessie reflects that Brock picked a good campsite, it was the only concession of leadership she made all day. She notes that they made unexpectedly good progress, they should be high up in the snowfields by late morning and can start looking for the ice cave rumoured to be Mew's hiding place. They ran into a tough customer in the afternoon, a nasty tempered

piloswine, it froze Arbok, damn it! But Brock's Vulpix made it melt away. She spent much of the evening thawing her partner out, but she seemed fine after a burnt berry and some hyper potion, thank goodness.

Brock taps at the tent flap and sticks his head inside after Jessie unzips it. "Hey I've got breakfast started. We ought to be off soon."

She stretches like a cat, and grins at him, "Just when I get all comfy. All right I'll be out in a jiff."

Misty is up already, squatting next to the camp stove sipping coffee. "Great to have you up Fearless Leader," she says, but there's a twinkle in her eye.

Meowth is not happy, "Fur or no fur, dis is too cold fer me!"

"Sorry to bring you here Meowth, but you know your value to this expedition," Jessie allows.

"Hmph! Dese two tink I'm yer biographer. You shoulda heard da questions dey wuz askin' about ya," Meowth is conspiratorial.

Jessie's eyes narrow, "What do you want to know? And why not ask me?"

Misty looks irritated, "I just asked Brock why you act this way all the time."

" What way?"

"Always the boss, angry, dictatorial, pushing your limits and everybody else's emotionally and physically!" Misty spits venomously.

"Hey! Enough! We've got a lot of work to do today!" Brock cries.

"You stay out of this!" the females shout in unison.

"Look twerpette, I don't answer to anyone! Especially with that tone of voice!"

"Not in any tone of voice!" Misty sticks her tongue out.

Jessie starts to speak and almost literally bites her own tongue. She looks at the fuming girl for a few long, quiet seconds and says, "Yes I was like you, and I still am a lot of the time. Look to thyself Misty! It's really not such a big secret who I am, everybody and everything hates me and I kick back as hard as I can because I refuse to give in to that hatred. I am me! Jessie! And I will not be beaten!" She turns away, and bites her lip enjoying the taste of blood and the savagery of her retort.

"If it weren't for Brock and Ash I'd be certain the world was out to get me too," Misty sounds suddenly contrite," I just wanted to know what it takes to become...you. I'm sorry."

Jessie squeezes her eyes tight, "Don't be sorry for me, I don't want your pity. Just help me now."

"Sure Jess," Brock says surprised to hear himself using such a familiar form of address.

They try to tack down their little camp as securely as possible, shoulder their loads, and proceed up a steep slope of hard, crusty snow.

The sky is pale grey, barely different from the expanse of tilted white before them, it's hard to tell up from down. The shadow of a high, icy cornice provides some vague definition. Jessie stops and she can hear a reediness in her gasping in the insufficient oxygen. She looks back, Brock is close, and soon comes up with her.

"I think we could head for that ridge over there," pointing at the cornice, "It's the closest thing to a landmark on this blank sheet, "she adds breathlessly.

He nods, not interested in wasting his own breath. His hand in the middle of her back steadies her. They set off again as soon as they are sure Misty and Meowth are coming along.

They reach the cornice and wait for their companions, leaning into the mountain because the cornice is steep with a wind honed razor's edge. Their eyes meet and Brock smiles at the light headed young woman. Jessie smiles in return, and reflects she feels surprisingly secure at the moment.

Once Meowth and Misty arrive they take stock of where they might be, "Can't say there's any indication of where this notorious ice cave ought to be," Jessie observes.

Meowth looks around in disgust, "I don't get no pokémon scent around here. No surprise there. What sorta pokémon in its right mind would hang out in a place like dis."

"Where do we go from here?" Misty asks the air.

"Don't know," Jessie says seemingly addressing the same element.

"Hey!" Meowth says eyes widening,"I sense somethin'!"

And there it is. Mew.

It is an amazingly beautiful pokémon with deep luminous eyes, its coat is lustrous shining pink. Somehow it floats before them as if gravity were not an issue that it took seriously. "Mew" it cries.

"It sez what're you doin here?" Meowth interprets.

Jessie speaks, "Mew we have sought you, to...to find out about someone who came here 20 years ago, do you remember her?"

The apparition vanishes, Jessie groans, then the mountain seems to groan in sympathy. Brock jumps forward pushing the two girls and Meowth into the snowbank. The cornice has broken free and a chaos of snow, ice and dislodged rock pours down behind them. The snowbank gives way behind them and they tumble onto the floor of a room with an ice floor and a high vault of bright turquoiseice.

The travelers lie still for a few moments, they roll over, get up unsteadily and brush the snow from their clothes and hair. "Whatta ya makea dis?" Meowth says in awe.

.......................................

James is watching Jenny and Ash have a pokémon battle, for practice really. Ash is using Pikachu and Jenny, of course, is using Growlithe.

"Trust me as one who knows, avoid the thundershock attack. I suggest using agility.,"encourages James.

Jenny catches his eye and nods, "Agility now!"

The bolt of electricity narrowly misses the swift brindled dog, "Now use ember!" Jenny commands.

This attack also misses because Pikachu is as hard to nail down as an electron.

The dog corners, and Pikachu hits it with a simple quck attack. "Forgetting your strengths, or strengthening your weaknesses?" taunts James at Ash's expence.

"Flamethrower," intones Jenny, and Pikachu gets caught this time.

"Barbecued electric mouse," says James with satisfaction. "You two are pretty evenly matched. That's three for Ash and two for Jenny."

Ash is busy administering hyper potion to pikachu, "Lucky shot," he grouses.

"At what level did your Growlithe pick up flamethrower?" James asks Jenny.

"I think it was level 45, but I can't remember for sure."

"That seems early, I'm sure my Growlie picked it up much later."

"Maybe you can't admit I'm a better trainer," she says with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

He laughs, she is a winning girl. Self sufficient, strong, just like...Jessie. No problem, he says to himself, he wasn't about to stray anyway. Jenny is just, well, fun to be around after all.

"Pretty good there Jenny," says Ash more generous upon reflection.

"Thanks Ash, it helps having input from a fellow growlithe trainer. You should have gone into law enforcement James."

"No thank you, I prefer the footloose life I have,' James replies.

"You make it sound like fun!" the blue-haired girl says with sparkling eyes.

"Sometimes it is. Ash here should concur."

"Yeah, it's pretty good being on the road, sometimes even when this guy and his friends are bugging us," adds Ash.

"Are you worried about your friends up on the mountain Ash?" Jenny is suddenly serious.

"Well, sure I am but what am I gonna do about it?" he remarks.

"Not a bad attitude," allows James, "I wish I could feel that way."

"To each his own," Ash says, "Maybe your worry will bring 'em back to us. I just can't see the use in it myself. You be yourself James, OK?"

"Sure Ash, thanks for saying that. Put 'er there," James and Ash shake hands, "C'mere Jenny," James says and he throws his arm around her shoulder.

"Here's to the others return," Jenny solemnly says enjoying the warmth of James' arm.

...........................................

Brock, Misty, Jessie and Meowth stare about themselves, arms akimbo, at the cathedral like vault of deep blue ice. Jessie's toe strikes a piece of curled paper with a soft scratchy sound that seems hollow in the enclosed frozen space.

She looks down, sees the scrap, and stoops to pick it up, "What's this?" she asks. It is a photograph, old and yellowed, in it there is a very small girl, a toddler, she has a sweeping mane of red hair arranged in two ponytails tied

with blue bows, she is wearing a yellow jumper, and her little fist is curled at the corner of her eye because she is crying bitterly. Jessie stares at the image, "Oh my God, It's me!" A tear trickles down her cheek in sympathy for the tiny child she once was.

"Let's see," says Misty, "You were a cutie, why are you crying?"

Jessie sadly looks at the photo seeming tired, "Her mommy is leaving her...forever."

"How da heck did dat get in here, someone had ta bring it in fer sure," Meowth says with a genius for the obvious.

"Perhaps Mew collected it," suggests Brock.

"Maybe, but I doubt it, what it says to me is that this Myiamoto was my mom, and she was here 20 years ago," says Jessie.

"Dat's great, guess we can all die happy in here knowin' yer mom kicked da bucket here too. How're we gonna get outta here!" complains Meowth.

"Let's look around, if there's an in there should be an out," Misty says hopefully.

"Oh yeah, sure," says an emotionally drained Jessie.

The foursome work their way around the chamber. Finally Brock says, "There's a solid plug of snow and ice over here," he gets out his compass, "Looks like this is the southeast corner of the chamber."

Brock is cut off by a piercing wail, a high keening sound that extends for nearly half a minute, it's Jessie. Misty and Meowth are already at Jessie's side by the time Brock arrives. Jessie is kneeling and she is in tears. "Look!" she sobs.

Encased in blue ice stands an attractive woman who appears to be in her mid-twenties. She is about 170 centimetres tall, has a generous amount of luxuriant purple hair arranged into two great pony tails on either side of her face,

her eyes are striking, large and aqua green. She wears large gold ball earrings, she wears shoulder length white gloves, and tall white boots, the boots and gloves have red trim, she wears a black one-piece outfit also accented with red and white trim, there is a huge red 'R' emblazoned across the breast. This is certainly the long lost Myiamoto Musashi.

Misty kneels down and trys to console the inconsolable Jessie.

Brock and Meowth are looking at the apparition with consternation, "How dya s'pose dat happened?" Meowth queries, "It's like she hasn't aged a day! Just a popsicle, it's weird I tell ya."

"I guess she has to be dead, but who knows? It looks as if she could walk out of there if you just got rid of the ice," Brock says knitting his brows.

"I remember her!" exclaims Jessie, "This is my mom, she did work for Team Rocket. Oh God, maybe heredity is destiny. Oh, she's beautiful, why...why...why?"

"Hey guys!" Meowth calls out,"It's baaaack!"

Indeed it is, Mew is floating nearby its head cocked quizzically, "Mew, mew, meeew" it utters softly.

"What does it say?" Jessie hisses insistently.

"It sez da lady here came here ta snatch it, It sez she was friendly and showed it Jess's picture here, but it could see her thoughts. It used teleport ta get away, but every time it uses it dere's a distoibance and snow gives way. It dug her out and she wuz very cold, so it decided da only way ta save her was ta flash freeze 'er and keep'er here until someone came along ta find her."

"But why did it keep her here? Why couldn't it somehow tell someone she was here? She's been here for 20 years for Godssake!" cries Jessie.

"Mew," the phantom replies.

"It sez time means nothin' to it, in good time someone would seek her."

"Mew, mew, mew".

"It adds dat those who sent her dis way couldn'ta cared much about her if it took dis long. It's glad it's her daughter dat came fer her."

"Mew."

"It can revive her if ya promise ta take her from here, whatta ya say?"

Jessie goes pale, "I...I, oh my yes! Of course please do!"

The ice around Myiamoto shimmers and vanishes. The young woman buckles at the knees, but somehow catches herself with her hands as she falls forward. She looks up eyes full of intelligence and fear. She tries to speak, it comes out a pinched whisper, "How? Mew is here, I still...can achieve...No!" Mew has vanished again.

She notices the other beings around her, two females, and a male, all young, and a meowth. "Who?" she whispers.

Jessie slowly advances to her, and offers her ahand, she rises looking into her daughter's eyes. "Do I know you?"

"Not really," murmurs Jessie who presses the old photo into her hand. Myiamoto looks at the photo and says "Jessica," almost inaudibly.

"It's been a long time mama," Jessie half whispers with a cracked voice.

The woman looks up slowly and studies Jessie's face, "It is you, how long has it been?"

"Twenty years mama, twenty, awful, long, years," weeps Jessie.

"It's strange I could almost sense that time was passing, it was as if I dreamed it. I remembered my mission, I remembered my duty, I remembered Mew, but I also always thought of you. I knew you were growing, that you needed money for a good school, for a dowry. It was always money when you worked for Team Rocket. Madame Boss couldn't afford to pay much salary, commission was important."

"It's still that way," Jessie says parting her parka to reveal the red 'R' on her white jacket.

"Oh my dear, you work for them too! I had hoped for better."

"Well, there never was any money mama, and I failed at everything else, and now...I'm failing for Team Rocket too," Jessie hangs her head.

"Who are these others, are they also members of Team Rocket?" Myiamoto asks.

"Meowth is a member, but Brock and Misty are, um ... adversaries helping me in a time of need."

"Pleased to meet you," Myiamoto says politely.

"How are we going to get your mom off the mountain? We don't have enough extra clothing to keep her warm," asks Brock.

"I guess we'll have to do the best we can, maybe we can wrap her in sleeping bags or something," Jessie is starting to smile as the realization sinks in.

Meowth pipes up, "Look lively guys, da Mew is back."

"Mew," it cries plaintively.

"It wants us offa da mountain sooner den later. I tink it's gonna teleport us off." "Mew, mew." "It sez ta picture our base camp in our heads and it'll get us all dere even Myiamoto if ya hold onta her Jess."

"OK," Jessie wraps her arms around her mother and looks gratefully into her eyes. The ice cave walls swim before her eyes and suddenly she's standing with the slightly older woman next to James' tent in the base camp. The others are there too. A tear runs down her cheek, and she buries her face in Myiamoto's shoulder feeling the tickle of her mother's purple tresses brushing her face.

..........................................


	5. My Enemy, My Love

The Rollercoaster Ride - Part 5

The Rollercoaster Ride - Part 5

..................................................

Jessie looks up in a fog. She and her preternaturally young mother are, not surprisingly, the centre of attention. Taking on her official function, Officer Jenny makes the first approach, "I'm from the La Paz Pokémon police ma'am, I assume this wraps up one of our oldest missing persons cases. Am I speaking to one Myiamoto Musashi?"

Myiamoto looks a little confused, but recovers, "Call me Mia if you like. Yes, that's my name. I am given to understand I've been away for a couple of decades."

"That is correct. I presume your, uh, well preserved condition is attributable to intervention by the pokémon Mew?" Jenny is curious.

"I guess so," Myiamoto can't really explain it.

Jessie offers the explanation, "Mew put mom into some kind of cryogenic trance after she was buried in an avalanche. It revived her after we arrived. It seems it was waiting for us, it appears to have the gift of prophecy as well."

"So she is your mom." Ash says wonderingly.

"Who is this charming young fellow?" responds Myiamoto to the open faced earnest Ash.

"He is Ash Ketchem, our small part of Team Rocket's bugbear. We've been trying to obtain his freakishly powerful Pikachu for three years. It's destroyed us." says a rueful James.

"Oh, you must be a skilled little fellow," Myiamoto says.

All of the others roll their eyes as Ash blushes, removes his cap, rubbing his disarrayed hair and says "Well, I guess that's true."

"And who might you be?" a blushing Myiamoto says addressing James.

James blushes too, recognizing yet another female admirer, "I'm your daughter's partner James P. Morgan, thief and professional ne'r do well at your service," he says bowing deeply.

Myiamoto's eyes fall on Jenny again, "Jennys haven't changed too much since I went away. Where's the blue cap, tunic and skirt?"

Jenny salutes smartly and says, "No point in wearing anything official in this peculiar crew. I'm just along to make sure things are according to Hoyle."

"I don't know about any of the rest of you, but I'm ready to whip up a celebratory dinner. We saw Mew, and Jessie has a real family!" announces Brock.

..........................................

Jessie takes James' hand and they walk away to a secluded place among the rocks. "I guess things have changed a lot all of a sudden," she says smiling sweetly at him.

"That's an understatement," James notes drolly.

"I've spent my whole life in a no quarter battle with the world, and it won most of the time, but I never asked for quarter so that was fine with me. Now, I feel as though the world finally cut me some slack big time. Against all odds the biggest loss of my whole life has been wiped out. So much hatred left me as soon as I put my arms around my very own mother. I've got to take another chance...James I do so love you," Jessie wipes away a tear at the corner of her

eye.

"I know what you mean Jess. I love you too, I've wondered for such a long time if the feeling was mutual," James says as he reaches out and squeezes Jessie's hand. He pulls her head toward his face, and they kiss for a long time.

She backs away slowly, with happy, sparkling eyes, "James I'm not old fashioned, you know that, but I have a mom to share this with...".

"I would expect nothing less," he says, "Let's go talk to Myiamoto."

They walk back into camp, and find Myiamoto chatting with Brock over dinner preparations. "Mama, there's something we want to talk to you about," Jessie says tentatively.

Myiamoto says, "That's a remarkable young fellow. He's a wonderful cook, and he's so responsible."

Jessie looks annoyed but says, "Yes, he is mature beyond his years, except when it comes to women, he's overanxious and too eager around the fair sex."

"Too bad, some girl will be lucky if she can see her way around it," Myiamoto observes, "So, I suppose you two want to discuss your relationship with me?"

Jessie blushes at her mother's forthrightness, "Well yesss. We do. James and I have been partners in crime for over five years, we've had a wonderful working relationship. Sure we've gotten on each other's nerves, but we know what the other is thinking, we complete each other."

"What say you James?" a mother's eyes fall upon the suitor.

"I don't know if I can add anything, but Jessie has always been by my side no matter what happened good or bad. Just when I thought I had finally made her so mad at me we'd never stick together she'd do something amazing and we'd be

laughing and scheming again. In spite of some pretty deep lows, we've stuck with

each other."

Myiamoto smiles, "I'm not going to argue with that. You two are lucky to have found each other."

Jessie suddenly looks quizzically at her mother. "Thank you mama. I have a

question I have to ask you now. What was my father like?"

"You have a right to ask Jessica. What brings it up now?"

"I guess now that I'm about to take the big step to have a full romantic

relationship, and... I have you to ask, I want to tie up another big loose end in my life."

"Fair enough," Myiamoto says evenly, "Your father was a married man, I was a starstruck young girl who had just signed up with Team Rocket, he was a wealthy, and attractive economic backer of the Team."

"Do we know him?" asks James

"Hard to say. He was so dashing. He had hair coloured very like yours James but it was wavier, he sported a cute handlebar mustache, his eyes were a steely blue."

"Um...what was his name?" James says haltingly. Jessie suddenly shoots an anxious look at him.

"Let's see. It was Palmer. Palmer Morgan."

James goes white as a sheet, "That would be... my father," he stammers.

They all stare at each other, Myiamoto shakes her head, a tear streaks her face. "Oh my, I am so sorry! It was so long ago...How could this happen?"

Jessie is in misery, "Even when something good happens it has a dark side! My life..my life is....Hell!," and the tears flow.

"Funny thing is, Jessica, you started the day with no kin, and now you have two parents and a half brother," offers James gamely, "I guess that's why we were in each other's heads so much, we share so much blood. I still love you Jess, I guess it's not the same but we'll always have each other sis." He hugs the crying girl tight in his arms, and allows a tear to run down his cheek as well.

.........................................

Jessie pushes her way out of James' arms, and runs sobbing past the campfire into the gathering darkness beyond its circle of light.

"What's gotten into her?" Brock asks.

James looks upon the younger man with hollow eyes and says, "We just found out that I'm her half brother. Her life is a ruin again."

"I'm going after her," Brock says, "I'm just simmering the stew here, just don't let it boil over," handing James a cooking spoon.

"You sure that's a good idea? You know how she is when things don't go her way, "James says trying to head off trouble.

"I suppose I do, but I have to see if I can turn her around a little."

"Good luck old man, be kind."

"Every bit as kind as you'd be James," smiles Brock.

Brock strides into the gloaming and finds Jessie sitting with her legs curled under her next to the rock where she kissed James. She is crying bitterly, occasionally hurling a rock far into the darkness with all her strength and fury.

"Hey," he says softly.

She looks up, and her face becomes contorted with a dark rage, "Go away you overeager child!"

He sighs, "Yeah I'm a twerp, that's true. But I am one twerp who has seen your true colours. Meowth says you've said no one could ever love you. It's not true, your mother loves you, your half brother loves you, and you know what? I love you."

"How could you? You're too young! There's not a girl who hasn't seen through your act. Get out of here you inconsequential insect!"

Brock frowns, but takes a deep breath, "I deserved that. Jessie....Jessica, you are the first woman who actually took me at all seriously. You know what I love about you? You are absolutely indomitable, when you go after something you won't let anything stand in your way, when you are down you get up, when you are up you are way up. Sure you're a beauty with a striking face and you have the body and grace of an athlete, but it's your fiery heart I've come to admire. Thank you for hearing me out, I'll be leaving now."

"Wait a minute Brock," she calls after him, "Do you really mean all that crap about me? Or are you just trying to make me feel better?"

"Of course I do Jessica, I meant every word of it. Did you mean what you said to me?"

"What was that?"

"That thing about me coming around if James...threw you over? Or were you just tugging my chain?" he's earnest.

She sighs deeply, and studies his inscrutable firm face, "I suppose I meant it," she says weakly, "But you're so young."

"Look Jessie, I've thought about it, I'm 18 you're 22, that's only four years. If you want to, we can hold off for a couple of years. I'd bet 20 and 24 would be OK."

"I think 22 and 18 isn't really all that bad, if you can stand an old lady who's really an old lady."

"It wouldn't matter if you were forty-two Jessie. You're one of a kind."

"How could this work? You're so responsible and, well, dull, and I'm so short-tempered, vain, and flashy," she says seeming to search for some way to sabotage her own happiness.

"Opposites attract. I believe that true partners act as ambassadors to the rest of the human race for their partner. What I lack in flash you provide, and what you lack in self-control I can offer. Look, I realized something else. You know how I lose it around pretty girls?"

"Yeah, it's your worst feature", she smiles a little thinking of Brock around a pretty girl.

"I never realized it but that giddiness was the opposite of what I thought it was. It was a warning that those girls weren't for me, they made me all nervous and thoughtless. You are the one Jessica, I finally was calm enough to look behind a woman's eyes and see her soul. And your soul has a brilliance, beauty and decency that overwhelmed me. If you'll have me, I'm yours forever."

"What about Team Rocket?" one last fly in the ointment.

"What indeed? Somehow I think they'll be glad to be shed of you. I bet a trainer like you would love to sink her teeth into becoming a member of the Elite Four, and since I'm gonna be the greatest pokémon breeder you'll have the pokémon to do it."

Jessie finally smiles broadly, "That's music to my ears Brock. Tell me more sweet somethings."

She rises and walks to him, she inclines her head downward slightly and he looks up into her half-closed eyes, then they kiss. Their arms involuntarily encircle each other. She leans her head back, freeing her lips, "Thanks for coming back to talk to me Brock. Now you've saved my life."

...................................................

"Oh! I left James in charge of the stew!" Brock awakens to responsibility again.

"Then I imagine he's stewing too," smirks Jessie, "Don't worry Brock, James knows his way around preparing food."

They walk back to the firelight with Brock's arm thrown companionably over

Jessie's shoulders.

"I'm glad you're feeling better Jessica. One youthful indiscretion has made so many people unhappy." says a downcast Myiamoto.

Jessie looks at her mother with sympathy, "Mom, sometimes I have wished I had never been born, but most of the time it's been one challenge to beat after

another. I wouldn't have missed it! I couldn't have chosen my parents if I had

I have lots of it left. I'm so glad you're here to help share it."

Misty sizes up the situation, "So Brock, have you tamed the savage beast with your beautiful music?" she says archly.

Brock shoots her a reproachful glance, "I wouldn't tame a wild heart like hers. I just hope I'm allowed to come along for the ride." He quickly changes the subject, "James, you want me to commandeer that cook spoon for you?"

"Sure Brock," says James handing Brock the spoon and pulling him aside near the pot, "How did you calm the storm? Her air castles had fallen to dust."

"I let her know that a select number of people love her a lot, and I couldn't help allowing that one of those is me. Lucky for me she listened to what I had to say."

"Does this mean I might have a sister and a brother?"

"I don't think there's a huge rush, Jessie has been through an awful lot. Whatever she wants." Brock says awed by his own changed circumstances.

"Hmmm, I have one more thing to resent my dad for, that man has meddled in my life at every turn."

Brock looks James in the eyes, "Look at it this way, without him there would be no Jessie or James. I have a strong feeling your life will soon take a turn for the better too."

"I hope so," James says wistfully.

Ash sits down next to Misty, "Um, Mist?"

"Yes?" she looks at him with an ironic smile.

"Did you,...um, uh, did you?"

"Point the 'dex at Mew? Of course I did silly!" she says removing his cap and tousling his hair familiarly.

"Thanks Misty!" he enthuses and suddenly kisses her softly on the cheek.

Misty blushes crimson, "Thanks yourself," she says shyly.

"Y'know Misty. I've been thinking...I've got enough money squirreled away. I thought it's about time we had bikes to get around on our pokémon journeys. What do you say?"

"Sure Ash, believe it or not, I almost forgot," and she hugs him around the neck.

"Hey! Hey! We're not getting married or anything!" Ash protests.

She lets go giggling, "Sure Ash, whatever you say. Best friends?" she says offering her crooked pinky finger.

"Yeah, best friends," Ash says hooking his own pinky with hers.

Jenny is staring at James, she sighs and looks away.

Myiamoto, Meowth and Jessie are talking about Team Rocket. Comparing experiences and old war stories.

"Soup's on!" cries Brock, and the celebration continues over a hearty stew.

........................................

The crew gets a late start the next morning, pulling up stakes, washing up and picking up the site. Those that have loads shoulder them, they look back at the massive horn shaped mountain and turn their faces toward civilization. The party strings out, Jessie sets the pace, with Brock close behind, Ash, Pikachu and Misty are next, James trails even farther back with the chatty Meowth and Myiamoto, and a surprisingly listless Officer Jenny brings up the rear.

Myiamoto looks back at the young woman slowly picking her way through the rock field, "I think I'll fall back and keep Jenny company," she says.

Coming up with Jenny, Myiamoto tries to strike up a conversation, "It feels good to use these legs again. Why so mopey, isn't it a beautiful day?"

Jenny looks up, seeming vaguely annoyed, she sighs, "Don't know. Guess it's going back to the old grind of watching over frontier pokémon law enforcement. This has been a welcome break."

"It's not every day someone missing for 20 years shows up not having aged a day,"Myiamoto offers airily.

Jenny smiles wanly, "Yeah, and it's not every day I find myself liking a bunch of Team Rocketeers."

A roaring cry interrupts this conversation, appearing without warning seeming to materialise from the rocks themselves is an enraged rhyhorn. "Duck for cover!" screams Jenny.

James turns to see the women dive behind a boulder, just as the beast hits it with a thundering crash. He instinctively reaches for the red and white ball on his belt, "Go Weezing, use smokescreen!" he shouts.

The air fills with smoke, diverting the angry beast and disorienting it. It wheels and emerges from the fog hurtling full tilt at James. The young man jumps aside like a matador and commands. "Toxic Weezing!" Foul poisonous sludge spews from Weezings mouths and covers the rhyhorn. It stops, circles around and looks stunned. "Hit him with your best shot Weezing! Tackle now!"

The two-headed stink bomb wallops the rhyhorn hard on the head. The poisoned behemoth starts another charge, suddenly pulls up, groans, and collapses not three metres from James.

James falls to his knees, holds up his pokéball and wearily says, "Weezing. Great work! Return."

Jenny is quickly at his shoulder breathing hard, "That was magnificent James!" she enthuses.

"Thanks. T'was nothing milady."

She looks into his eyes and says, "Thanks for everything James," and walks away.

He looks after her, as the others come back to see what happened, "Maybe we should talk," he thinks absently.

The rest of the knee-jarring descent takes place without serious incident. Brock offers to walk to the nearby village to call the cab service. Jessie volunteers to go with him. Misty and Ash are wrangling about bicycle specs. Myiamoto wanders off to sit on a rock and take in the view.

Meowth is at Jenny's side, as James leans cooly with his left hand on his hip and his right hand against a road cut. "So I guess dis is where we part ways, huh Jen?"

"Yep" she says regretfully, "It's been swell, you pussycat", touching his nose playfully."

"Aw, I betcha say dat to all da talkin' meowths," he drawls blushing as much as a cat can manage.

James comes to and saunters over, "Hey Meowth, do you mind if I have a few words with our cop friend here?"

"Sure t'ing Jimmy. Don't get in trouble."

"No more than I already am in Meowth," he looks significantly at the girl with the curl in the middle of her forehead.

"Well, am I still Errol Flynn to your Olivia de Havilland? I can still sweep you onto my horse and ride into the sunset with you at my side."

She laughs, "James, I told you I'm a professional. How would it look for me to leave my work and run off with a crook like you?"

"You can say you're taking me into permanent custody. Someone's got to protect the world from me."

"And you think that's me?" she giggles.

Becoming more serious he says, "Look, maybe you can protect me from some things. I didn't tell you that I'm offcially engaged to be married, and my fianceé and parents refuse to break it."

"Somehow it doesn't surprise me. What's all the fuss? I'm sure she's a nice enough girl, just someone you don't hit it off with, am I right?"

"You couldn't be more wrong, she's an obsessive control freak who insists in forcefully altering my ways by any means necessary. To her, discipline is literally whipping me into shape," James tugs out his black shirt revealing the white of a scar on his lower back.

Jenny makes a sympathetic horrified hiss sucking air across her teeth, "My God! I had no way of knowing."

"It's OK, I just wanted you to know what I ran away from," he notes, "I also want you to know that I admire you a lot Jenny, and I believe this admiration is now genuine love. I haven't had a minute since we left camp you didn't enter my thoughts. You have a lot of Jessie's traits, you're strong, self reliant, funny, even a little tempermental. I've said many times since I met you, 'Now there's a fascinating Jenny'."

"You know James, I fear commitment and I see that in you too. We could work this mutual problem out as a team, I'd love to meet that challenge. I've been drawn to you from the first, this will be just the adventure that's been missing from my life!," she says seriously with her eyes full of warmth and caring, then in a more humourous tone, "I suppose I'll have to join Team Rocket, that would be a change of pace!"

"I hardly think that necessary," a mortified James replies.

"Aw, c'mon! At least you could teach me your motto, It looks like fun!"

"Well, we should get back-to-back, like this," he positions her and takes his station.

"You have to start it," he says. "How's it start?". "You don't know? Ok, you shout 'Prepare for trouble'." Jenny obliges. Ash, Misty and Meowth's heads snap around. "Now I say, 'And make it double!" Jenny smiles devilishly, "To protect the world from devastation!" she crows. James' eyes widen and he continues, "To unite all peoples within our nation!" "To denounce the evils of truth and love!" offers Jenny getting into it more. "To extend our reach to the stars above!" "Team Rocket, blast off at the speed of light!" "Surrender now or prepare to fight!" "Meowth dat's right!" chimes in Meowth. They all break down in peals of joyous laughter.

"Welcome to da gang!" chortles Meowth.

"Now I'm one of the other ones!" Jenny smiles, rapturous tears streaming down her face.

She hugs James with all her strength, and he returns the embrace willingly. The kiss is soft, not too lingering, but passionate.

"I gotta be careful where I step in all dis mush!" says Meowth.

...........................................

About an half hour later Brock and Jessie appear in the back of a flatbed farm truck full of workers bound for La Paz. "This is cheaper than the cab, and a lot more democratic," Brock offers. Everyone piles in, the more the merrier, and the truck groans to life and creaks off down the narrow, winding mountain road.

Once back in La Paz there is much to be sorted out. Myiamoto checks in at the police station to remove herself from the missing. Jenny turns in her badge and receives a squealing hug from another policewoman on duty after she gives out her news. Ash and Misty go off to check out bikes. Meowth pays his respects to Joy, and announces that he'll stay in town awhile to help interpret for the various pokémon at the centre,"Den maybe I'll go visit Cassandra an' see how she's doin' wit dat Poishan," he says with a wink.

Brock and Jessie go off to a jewelry store, "Do you want to make this a heist, or should it be legit?" Brock asks the flushed beauty.

"Oh, let's make it legit for once," she says wrinkling her nose ever so slightly. "I've got just the thing for you, a fire opal pendant with small diamonds set around it. It suits your amazing mercurial personality."

"A pendant? I thought we were getting a ring?"

"I don't want to rush you," he says doubtfully.

"You said it yourself, when I see what I want I go after it. I want you Brock," she says decidedly.

"Well there's rings over here, diamond I suppose?"

"No, I like the thought of fire opal. Let's look for a big sparkly raninbow one."

..............................................

When they return to the hotel, Myiamoto is back from the police station with Jenny. She looks mistily out the window. Ash wanders in, "Misty had a great idea, why don't we see if one of you guys could work for Professor Oak for awhile? I think he'd like an assistant or two more that Tracey. How about you Brock?"

"I don't know Ash, I ought to check in at Pewter City more frequently. Why don't you put Myiamoto forward? She's a seasoned, world travelling pokémon trainer you know."

"Hey Myiamoto, what say we call Professor Oak and see if he could use you?' Ash calls over to the detached young woman.

"Oak?" she says absently, "I think I know that name. I guess I'm game."

The phone screen in the lobby flashes and the professor, a distinguished white-haired man with a rugged square face is seen puttering around with a teapot and teaball, "Professor!" interjects Ash.

The professor looks up distractedly, "Oh. Ash it's you," he says familiarly. "How are you?"

"I'm fine Professor. Guess what? I got Mew into the Pokédex."

"Good for you! That's a tough one. What can I do for you?" he clearly wants to get back to his tea.

"Well, we met someone we thought might be a great lab assistant for you. Her name's Myiamoto Musashi. I'll let you speak to her," Ash puts Myiamoto on.

He looks at her hard, is clearly astonished and states, "My! You look like a brilliant student I once taught at Pokémon Tech when I had an adjunct position there right after I completed my doctorate."

"What was her name?" asks a bemused smirking Myiamoto.

"By golly, it was the same! You wouldn't be her daughter would you? She'd be 46 by now, and you're clearly too young."

"I could be, let's just say I know who you're talking about," she smiles pleasantly.

"Well that's fine, why don't you come to Pallet for an interview. I'm pretty sure we could use you here."

"I have an, er, ...sister and her friend travelling with me. Do you think you could find lodging for them? They're a couple, the names are Brock Li and Jessica Musashi."

"Oh! Brock, of course. I'll ask around. Brock and I have a close mutual acquaintance, Delia Ketchem. She would surely let out a room or two for Brock, his friend and yourself. She lives alone, as a matter of fact your friend Ash there is her son. I'm sure you'll be welcome."

"Thank you, I'll book my flight as soon as possible."

"You're welcome, oh Muk get out of the tea setting, argghh! Well I have to run. Look at this mess! Oh my!" and the Professor's face fades out.

"Well that seems promising," a pleased Myiamoto says brightly.

............................................

She is sitting in a well-cared-for flower garden in Pallet Town. She's relaxed. She wears an elegant blue dress with cutoff sleeves, the skirt rises slightly above the knee, showing off calf length leather boots. There are two gym badges pinned to the left of her breast a Cascade Badge from Misty and the Boulder Badge from...Brock. They didn't roll over and hand them to her, but they were so very happy when she made it. Darn it! Why did Brock and Misty have to make the charmander Oak had started her with faint? Heh, Arbok got some payback and finally beat Onix though. She hopes Brock gets back from Pewter City soon. On her left ring finger is a fire opal ring set about with diamonds. Presently she is joined by two other women, both in their mid to late twenties. One has sweeping purple ponytails framing an angular well proportioned face set with luminous green eyes, the other has brown hair, a rounder face with friendly brown eyes full of kindness. "It's a gorgeous evening," she says warmly to her two companions.

"Yes it is lovely," says Delia Ketchem, "You know Mia and I think the colour scheme you chose for the wedding is perfect, the wine coloured dresses for the bridal party, and the beige suits for the groom's should be handsome and understated."

"Yes, I consulted with James on that, between us we have one mean fashion sense."

"Did James get back from his honeymoon yet?" asks Mia.

"Oh yes, he said the Orange Islands were a lot more fun with that energetic Jenny gal of his than when we chased the kids around them a couple of years ago. Now those two are trying to get settled in to Cerulean City with the Waterflower's help."

She looks at the hills surrounding Pallet Town and notes they are taking on purplish evening tones as the sun sinks lower. She reflects she never knew she could ever be at peace with herself, but somehow she made it. Her name is Jessie, and her life finally makes some sense to her.

FIN

..............................................


End file.
